User value and usability of a web-based mindfulness intervention for families living with mental health problems

Abstract

Mental health problems affect the patients and their families, who may also need therapeutic interventions. Mindfulness interventions have shown beneficial health effects for clinical and healthy populations. A web-based mindfulness intervention was tailored to address families' needs of support and tested in a pilot intervention study. The aim of this study was to explore the participants' experiences of using an 8-week web-based mindfulness programme in terms of user value and usability. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out over the phone (Spring 2015, Sweden) with 15 randomly selected participants after the 3-month follow-up as part of the pilot study. Data were also collected through usability surveys online post intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. Qualitative data were analysed with content analysis and quantitative data with descriptive statistics. The analysis of the interviews resulted in four categories describing the participants' experiences of the programme's usability and value: A valuable and flexible tool that requires time and discipline, New perspective and coping strategies for an enhanced well-being, I'm important too - my limits, my responsibility, and Taming the inner critic. The programme's usability was satisfactory and largely corroborated by the surveys. The programme was experienced as a valuable tool to cope with stress in both private and professional contexts, making it a viable option to support families living with mental health problems. Time for self-care, a widened perspective, a less judgmental and more accepting attitude, deterring automatic reactions and setting limits helped the participants to deal with their situation and health. The programme's ease and flexibility of use were major advantages, although the training requires discipline. Motivators and barriers to use were illuminated, which should be considered in the development of further online services and study designs.

Effectiveness and usability of a web-based mindfulness intervention for caregivers of people with mental or somatic illness. A randomized controlled trial

“…Human support is commonly used in caregiver interventions online ( Guay et al, 2017 ) and can enhance adherence ( Kelders et al, 2012 ; Kampmeijer et al, 2016 ) and intervention efficacy ( Webb et al, 2010 ). Moreover, reminders ( Fry and Neff, 2009 ; Webb et al, 2010 ) and the RCT format appear (for different potential reasons) to increase adherence ( Kelders et al, 2012 ), which was also mentioned by participants in a previous study ( Stjernswärd and Hansson, 2016b ). Lack of support and feedback can be further barriers, while ease of use, prompts and personal support may facilitate the use of such interventions ( Kampmeijer et al, 2016 ), as partly illuminated in the current study.…”

“…Web-based mindfulness interventions (MBI) 2 show promising results with beneficial health effects for healthy and clinical samples ( de Vibe et al, 2012 ). A feasibility study and randomized controlled trial of the current online MBI showed positive significant results for families living with MI with enhanced levels of mindfulness and self-compassion, and decreased levels of caregiver burden and perceived stress ( Stjernswärd and Hansson, 2016a ; Stjernswärd and Hansson, 2017 ), combined with good usability and subjective value when using the program ( Stjernswärd and Hansson, 2016b ). Usability refers to the extent to which a specific user can use a specific product to reach specific goals, with purposefulness, effectiveness, and satisfaction, in a given context ( ISO, 1998 ).…”

“…Usability refers to the extent to which a specific user can use a specific product to reach specific goals, with purposefulness, effectiveness, and satisfaction, in a given context ( ISO, 1998 ). Ease of access and flexibility of use were strong motivators for use ( Stjernswärd and Hansson, 2016b ). More studies are called for to verify the intervention's effectiveness for extended groups of caregivers.…”

Can Digital Games Be a Way of Improving the Neuroplasticity in Stroke Damage? Can the Adult Brain Grow New Cells or Rewire Itself in Response to a New Experience?

“…It estimated that between 18-36% of people would experience some form of mental health difficulty throughout their lifetime, with one in four families expected to contain a member with [32]. Typically, diagnosis of a mental health disorder depends on the identification of a particular set of symptoms, often under a given set of circumstances [33]. Thus, the brain changes in response to environmental conditions can also change and rearrange in response to injury or disease.…”

A Qualitative Study of Caregivers’ Experiences, Motivation and Challenges Using a Web-Based Mindfulness Intervention

“…This may be useful for caregivers that experience high levels of guilt, self-criticism, and interpersonal stress. Caregivers of a person with mental illness (MI) experienced the current web-based MBI as useful (Stjernswärd and Hansson 2016b). The research team customized the contents of the MBI program's introductory and psychoeducational files to mirror the experiences of a wider group of caregivers, including caregivers of a person with somatic illness (SI).…”